A Panoramic Port of Call

 

Following the intricacies of some of the smaller song poem label's relationships with the bigger song-poem factories can be a bit of a rabbit hole experience. Today we have the "Panorama", which was, as indicated directly below the label name "A Division of Endeavor Records". But "Endeavor" was also a fairly teeny label, releasing lease masters from Film City and Globe, and perhaps others.

 

So this is a satellite of a satellite. In this case, it's clear that the recording originally came from Film City, due to the presence of the unwieldy group name, "New Sounds From the Film City Orchestra and Chorus", and the lead singing (on the A-side) by Jim Wheeler.

 

The song itself is a description of an island paradise, with those new sounds, Orchestra and Chorus all being provided by someone playing the Chamberlin. Please enjoy "Port of Call":

 

Download: Jim Wheeler with New Sounds From the Film City Orchestra and Chorus - Port of Call

Play:

 

For the flip side, for whatever reason, the good folks at Film City/Endeavor/Panorama put an instrumental Chamberlain arrangement of the song on the flip side. This is not simply the backing track from the a-side, it's a complete arrangement of the melody, built on top of that backing.

 

Download: New Sounds From the Film City Orchestra and Chorus - Port of Call (Instrumental)

Play:

 

 Incidentally, my pal Stu has (in the comments) found two more related items, both involving the man who apparently was a label honcho at Endeavor and Panorama (and who co-wrote this song), Hardie W. Daniel. First, here's a book with a very egotistical name apparently full of his marvelous poetry. And second, here's a blurb from Billboard magazine, about his supplying of records to jukeboxes. I wonder how that went over...